IFB398 Capstone Project (Phase 1)


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:IFB398
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:IFB299 or IFB295 or IGB200 or CAB302 or (IAB207 and IAB305) and completion of 120 credit points of study
Equivalent:CAB398, IAB398, IGB300
Coordinator:David Lovell | david.lovell@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This unit gives you the opportunity, under close guidance appropriate to the project, to apply and extend the knowledge and skills gained in your course to date to a substantial IT/Games project. You will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills required for careful planning, scope control and task management to ensure the success of a industry-oriented project. Working in a team, you will undertake critical tasks required in the early stages of a project, such as: initial concept development and feasibility analysis, requirements gathering and analysis, design and project planning, evaluation/playtest. These activities will culminate in the delivery of an initial version of the project deliverable (e.g., software prototype, game or interactive environment, design document, literature review, environmental scan, research plan, etc.) to stakeholders as a proposal for further development in the unit Capstone Project (Phase 2).

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Analyse the project context to capture organization, governance, privacy, risk, legal and ethical issues.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 1, 1.1, 1.5, 5, 5.1
  2. Generate well-defined requirements and deliverables by considering user experience and the business objectives of the project.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 2, 4, 4.1
  3. Integrate discipline knowledge and skills through applying advanced problem solving and critical thinking to design and prototype an implementable solution that addresses the requirements.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 2
  4. Plan and manage a project and resources across the project lifecycle using industry standard project management methodologies.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 4, 4.3, 5, 5.1, 5.2
  5. Apply high-performance team practices that embody the relevant professional conduct behaviours expected to manage an industry project.

Content

The focus of this unit is integrating the knowledge and skills learnt earlier in your course. Much of the content will be specific to your project and learnt through self-directed study and through informal collaborative learning with peers. You will also examine personal and professional ethics in the context of your project and their importance for your role as a professional.

Learning Approaches

You will be working on an authentic, solution-driven project. The project will act as a vehicle for you to develop professional design and project management skills. Activities will be guided by close interaction with your project supervisor and tutor during regular meetings. Feedback and scaffolded learning activities will provide support to help you draft, develop and present a professional project plan.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback will be provided by the tutor during these meetings concerning:

  • The quality of your team process - how you are working together, how this can be improved and how the process can help you manage the project. (Formative).

  • The quality of the project work you are undertaking - project plans, design sketches, preliminary drafts, application, game, or other prototypes. (Formative).

  • Your individual contribution to the team. (Summative: see Team Process below).

  • You will also receive regular feedback on your performance from other team members as part of a structured discussion with the tutor during these fortnightly meetings, and from your project supervisor during your other project meetings.

Assessment

Overview

You will receive detailed feedback on the process you are following and on the quality of the artefacts you are producing during regular meetings. These will provide you with ample feedback on your progress, guiding you toward a healthy and professional Team Process, toward final submission of the Interim Project Report, and successful Presentation of your work to an audience at the end of the semester. Your professionalism in your approach to the project, and your success in meeting the objectives agreed with the industry, community or academic partner, will be assessed directly by the project supervisor, essentially your client for the project.

You will meet as a team with your tutor on a fortnightly basis from week 3 onwards. The tutor is there to guide you in understanding and following a process, so that you may track and successfully manage your own path to a successful outcome.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Project Progress and Performance

You will manage and contribute to regular project management meetings during which your tutor will consider the progress of the team, and assess whether your contribution to the project is satisfactory. In the meeting you will reflect on your work as a team and discuss your progress with respect to tasks and goals agreed at the previous meetings.

You will be required to provide evidence to your tutor of the work undertaken, and to examine critically any changes needed to the process and to your schedule in order to ensure success. The discussions will include reflection on your ethical behaviour and observations of the behaviour of others you have interacted with during the project's development, and how these aspects are impacting progress.

Your professionalism in working as part of the team and the success of the team to date in meeting the agreed objectives of the project will be assessed by your project supervisor(s).

The final outcome will consider the feedback received from the tutor and from the industry supervisor(s).  

Weight: 20
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Throughout semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 4, 5

Assessment: Project Report (Phase 1)

You will provide an preliminary report on the progress of your project, incorporating discussion of the scope and outcomes agreed, and detailing your progress through the early exploratory phases and/or early iterations as appropriate.

Your report should include detailed plans for the next phases of the project, specifying the project's goals, feasibility, scope and timeframe, which will extend into IFB399 in the following semester.

This will include an individual reflection on the challenges encountered, your contributions, ethical behaviour and observations of the behaviour of others you have interacted with during the project's development.

You will also produce an initial version of your deliverable by the end of semester, developed in incremental stages. This will include all material required by stakeholders, potential users or consumers of the system or material, and your supervisor. You must provide evidence of appropriate review and/or verification and validation of the deliverable.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 50
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Week 14
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Assessment: Final Presentation

You will present your progress from the semester to an audience of your peers, industry and community representatives, and members of the teaching team. You will seek to persuade those present that your project will achieve the agreed objectives.

 

 

Weight: 30
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Assessment: Online Ethics Module Part 3

In this self contained online Ethics module (Part 3) you will learn about the different methods of ethical analysis, a model of reflective practice and strategies for recovering from ethical failures. You will then need to pass an online quiz to test your knowledge of the topics covered. You must pass the quiz in order to pass this unit, however you may attempt the quiz an unlimited number of times until you pass.

This Ethics Module Part 3 has as a prerequisite Ethics Module Parts 1 and 2 which you will normally have completed as part of earlier units at QUT (IFB105 for Part 1 and IFB240 for Part 2). However, if you haven't already completed those Modules, you will need to complete them first before completing Part 3.

Threshold Assessment:

As an IT professional you will be legally bound by a code of ethics and professional conduct. Knowledge of these codes is therefore essential for all IT graduates. You must pass this Online Ethics Module in order to pass this unit, i.e. regardless of how well you do in the other assessment items, you cannot pass this unit if you fail this assessment item. You may however attempt this assessment items an unlimited number of times until you pass.

Weight: 0
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13 Sunday
Unlimited attempts to pass by the Sunday of Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1
Related Standards: ACS CBOK: 1, 1.1

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

There are no extra resources required by the student in the execution of this unit.

Risk Assessment Statement

The Unit has been assessed for Health and Safety, and relevant material is provided as part of the teaching material. Risks concern mostly possible activities conducted off Campus as part of your Industry WIL experience. The relevant information is available in Canvas. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas and laboratories.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Computer Society Core Body of Knowledge

1: ICT Professional Knowledge

  1. Ethics
    Relates to: ULO1, Online Ethics Module Part 3
  2. Social issues/legal issues/privacy
    Relates to: ULO1

2: ICT Problem Solving

Relates to: ULO2, ULO3

4: Technology Building

  1. Human factors
    Relates to: ULO2
  2. Systems development and acquisition
    Relates to: ULO4

5: ICT Management

  1. IT governance and organisational issues
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO4
  2. IT project management
    Relates to: ULO4

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

IN01 Bachelor of Information Technology

  1. Employ appropriate IT Methods
    Relates to: ULO4, Project Progress and Performance, Project Report (Phase 1), Final Presentation
  2. Critically apply design and problem solving skills
    Relates to: ULO3, Project Report (Phase 1), Final Presentation
  3. Work independently and within effective teams
    Relates to: ULO5, Project Progress and Performance, Project Report (Phase 1)
  4. Purposefully appraise personal values, attitudes and performance in your continuing professional development
    Relates to: ULO1, Project Report (Phase 1), Final Presentation, Online Ethics Module Part 3
  5. Create considered and relevant IT solutions
    Relates to: ULO2, Project Report (Phase 1), Final Presentation